James C. Bassett Gainsville, FL

James C. Bassett's Solace series was created in response to the artist's own need for solace after immersing himself in a series of emotionally challenging pieces. “Although I had created some geometric Solace pieces, such as Solace in Black and White using cut wood and slate together, Wounded Heart was the first piece where I used a natural twig,” says the artist. “I was immediately drawn to the contrast of the rectangular pieces of slate and the wild, natural wood; I think the element of wildness, the randomness inherent in the growth of a twig, adds far more to these pieces than I could ever create on my own, and it is closer to my original concept for Solace, which was to create something calm and restorative for my own peace of mind.” The first pieces of slate were left over from a construction job. “I used them up quickly,” says Bassett. “Between the saw kerf and what I discard after trimming pieces to length so they fit together, more than half of the slate I started with ended up as wastage! I later started buying more from flooring specialty stores as they have a much better range of colors, textures, and patterns than the big-box home improvement stores. The slate costs more there, but it’s worth it to be able to get such a beautiful selection of stone.” “Slate is certainly not what comes to mind when most people think of stone sculpture,” says the artist, “but many artists have used it, perhaps most notably Isamu Noguchi. I have always preferred working in stone because it is so hard and unyielding; it creates a real dialogue in the way it asserts itself, unlike clay or paint or even wood. Slate is very different from alabaster or marble, but in its own way it demands even more attention and care because it is relatively fragile (especially when cutting it into small pieces) - it crumbles, it delaminates. It is easy to get into a rhythm when carving marble and start working on autopilot, letting your mind drift, but because of slate’s delicacy you have to give it your full attention the entire time you are working with it. # # # # #